Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-11-19
"Kcckarc,, as the nigh school.

To the Editor Of THE EVENING STAR:
Permit me, through the columns ~ THr Frrx-
ING STAR, 20 enter q protest against some OF the
methods OF instruction In the High school. 4
refer now particularly TO the teaching Of Iaun
there. since the commencement OF the school
term. now only two months the beginners have
been rushed through work which involves the
learning OF all the paradigms OF the grammar.
which. OF themselves should occupy LOT less than
three months Tor thorough learning; and, in add
ton, the pupils have 10 translate daily about a
dozen Latin sentences into English, and rs many
more English sentences into Latin. The result T.
that, with all the time the pupils can command
they cannot thoroughly understand any hing. and
consequently they are confused and faded. This
go through with at ALL Is the bane of our Schools
and what Is worse, n l. generally perfectly
less addition 10 their necessary iabOrs Thus. an
the present case. though there NAV Doe slight
beneflt derived from translating these modern
Latin sentences into English. yet a wcll-studel
and deliberate translation OF a single sentence OF
CPser would be worth more 60 the pupll. ana
would give HIM more advancement In knowledse
OF the language than page 81 the sun which Is
translation OF English sentences into Latin b alb
soluicly without any beneit Whatever and the
tine employed IN that work Is worse than thrown
away. There Is no object In learning TO write ar
speak Latin IN our times. and while there r.
much or other valuable knowledge 20 learn, o. Is
SIN 10 waste time on this work Many teachers
seem TO be wholly unconscious OF the true Use of
learning the Latin language 10 the student The
a s, MAN. sn1 ,sa, v n, =, ~ op
own language which r. derived from the Latin. and
20 be able 20 understand the Latin words. techni-
cal terms. phrases and quotations which abound
IN writings The second 10 the scholar. IS that
he may read and thoroughly understand and ap-
preciate the rich and valuable literature OF that
language. and the shortest easiest road % its
quirement should be adopted with as little dig
ging and drudgery as possible.
Another thing must be objected 10 IN the strong
est terms In this connection The pupils In the
High School are taught 20 pronogn . the language
according TO the so-called phonetic method To
lH.saf ff.n ah-nr MT rnf~ hQd fnr
stance Cicero Is pronounced "heckaro, and Tir-
gil, "HeeroheeL." This Is abominable. The Latin
language, The living pronunciation VI which Ia OF
gUage, and forms bodily 50 much 81 n, that IL Oh
IL has been for centuries. But this ARTIFICIAL pro-
nuncation Is bringing Us To a Jagon unintelligible
To every one who has nO been trained into ITS
mysteries and Who II thus trained, must ind the
language entirely divorced num our own language
except 10 the sight Let me illustrate: II learner
should ask a teacher the derivation az our word
ci,cumscribe, the teacher would answer that ~
comes from the Latin word kecgloOn,s>g,epo,- so-
cording TO this new-fanglad pronunciation How
clear the derivation would be 10 the seeker az
knowledge, And yer the Latin WORD Is spelled eN-
acty like the English excspt the terminal letter.
ana means exactly the same thing. Common
sense and the common practice on Centuries evi-
IDENTIFY show ana require that the two languages
should he pronounced according 10 the same prin-
ciples, those OF the English language among Eng
disappearing people. PARENT